Ash

This series of works is made from panels of ash, cut from a 100 year-old ash tree, felled at Barnhillies in 2006.  They are burned, or stained with grey dye made from decayed metal, then wrapped in calico from sheep shearing bags.  Again, they are a requiem for lost worlds and habitats – ash trees are the latest on the list of disease-prone indigenous hardwoods.

singed ash, grey dye, 2013. 00cm x 00cm

singed ash, calico, 2013. 00cm x 00cm

Singed ash panel, grey dye 2013.  45cm x 24cm       Singed ash panel, calico, 2013. Dimensions vary

Wood Pasture

These works are in memory of wood pasture, an ancient farming system.  Until the 20th Century ash trees were used as fodder for wintering stock, but acres were felled to make way for modern machinery and intensive grazing.  I use the natural patination of the wood, enhanced with sanding and dye.

Ash panels, grey dye, beeswax, 2013. 500cm x 1.2m